Chemical pollution

Ecosystems around the globe are increasingly being inundated with a cocktail of chemical pollutants. From antidepressant drugs found in the tissues of fish from the Niagara River to persistent organic pollutants detected in polar bears from Arctic ecosystems, pollutants are capable of affecting the development, physiology, morphology, and behaviour of wildlife. Here, we highlight the relatively young field of behavioural ecotoxicology, which has shown that exposure to even low, environmentally realistic levels of contaminants can cause a wide range of behavioural changes in animals. This is cause for major concern, given that the ability to appropriately produce and maintain behaviours is fundamental to the ecology and evolution of wild animal populations. Further, we underscore that not only is studying animal behaviour a vital component of understanding the impacts of chemical pollution, it also represents an extremely valuable—but as yet underutilized—tool for informing more effective chemicals regulation, which is urgently needed to protect wildlife living in an increasingly toxic world.